Here at Method there’s a bunch of stuff we like: happy hours, pretty colors and smells, innovative ideas … the list goes on. And as you know, there’s also stuff we don’t like. Phosphates and chlorine bleach are two of those things. They are also two ingredients – especially phosphates – that a lot of other companies include in their dishwasher detergents.
When we introduced you to Lil’ Bowl Blu, our toilet bowl cleaner, back in February, we told you a little bit about phosphates. Phosphates in our water supply contribute to algal blooms, which deprive fish and other water dwellers of needed oxygen. That’s dirty. Two counties in Washington banned the use of phosphates this year, with the rest to follow in 2010, and many other states are looking into the issue as well.
So to answer our own question, Smarty Dish is smart – no, brilliant! – because it gets the job done in your dishwasher without anything nasty you don’t want dirtying up our water supply. It comes in pre-measured tablet doses that fit neatly in your dishwasher’s detergent compartment, so no more worrying about the dreaded “overpour.”
And speaking of smart, Smarty Dish passed quite a few tests before we decided that it made the grade: A third party confirmed for us that it cleans as effectively as, and sometimes even better than – the leading brands for many tough-to-crack stains. It’s also been approved by the EPA’s Design for the Environment program, which we told you about here. The container is made of 25% recycled content and is 100% recyclable. One test it didn’t pass, we have to admit, is animal testing. But that’s because we just don’t think that’s nice.
And just in case you still don’t believe us, here’s what a couple of other people have said about Smarty Dish:
From Sustainable Is Good: http://www.sustainableisgood.com/products/2008/06/smartydish.html
From the Atlanta Journal & Constitution (scroll to the bottom of the article): http://www.ajc.com/search/content/living/personaltech/stories/2008/07/19/grabbag.html
Look for Smarty Dish at your local retailer (and available mid-September on methodhome.com), and let us know what you think!
